Thursday, April 7, 2011

Brother William welcomes Brother Álvaro Rodríguez Echeverría, Superior General of the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools.

Brother Michael Collins, FSC, was awarded a Doctorate of Leadership and Service from Brother William and Michael Gostomski, chairman of the SMU Board of Trustees.

Brother Jeffrey Gros, FSC, received a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Brother William and Michael Gostomski, chairman of the SMU Board of Trustees.

Drs. Melissa Luedtke and Roxanne Eubank were presented with the Brother H. Charles Severin, FSC, Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award.

Hilary Ethen and Sean Ohl, this year's Outstanding Seniors.

Saint Mary’s presented awards to alumni, faculty and students at its Founder’s Day celebration Tuesday, April 5. Additionally, Brother Álvaro Rodríguez Echeverría, Superior General of the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools, served as the event’s keynote speaker.

Honorary doctorates were presented to Brother Michael Collins, FSC, Ed.D., president and chief academic administrator of DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, and to Brother Jeffrey Gros, FSC, Ph.D., professor of church history at Memphis Theological Seminary.

Brother Michael, who is also a current SMU trustee, was awarded a Doctorate of Leadership and Service. He has been recognized locally, regionally and nationally for his contributions to education, and particularly his efforts at promoting diversity within Catholic education. Brother Michael received his undergraduate degree in 1959, and a master’s in 1965, both from Saint Mary’s.

Brother Jeffrey received a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. He is well-known in the ecumenical movement for broadening the understanding and reach of ecumenism. He served for 10 years as director of faith and order for the National Council of Churches and served for 14 years at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Brother Jeffrey received his undergraduate degree in 1959, and a master’s in 1962, both from Saint Mary’s.

Also honored were a dedicated faculty member, a Lasallian educator and two outstanding seniors.

Dr. Melissa Luedtke of the Education Department received this year’s Brother H. Charles Severin, FSC, Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award is given every other year to an undergraduate faculty member who is recognized by both students and other faculty as exceptional in their teaching and engagement of students.

Roxanne Eubank, Ed.D., professor, Doctor of Education in Leadership, and director of the Institute for Lasallian Studies, was chosen as this year’s Distinguished Lasallian Educator. These awards are given by Lasallian institutions in the North American-Toronto Region of the De La Salle Christian Brothers to honor contributions and commitment to the Lasallian mission of education.

Additionally, the Outstanding Male and Female Senior Awards were presented to students who have demonstrated the ideals of scholarship, character, leadership and service. The Outstanding Male Senior Award went to Sean Ohl, son of John and Lori Ohl of Bloomington, Minn. The Outstanding Female Senior Award went to Hilary Ethen, daughter of Todd and Lucinda Ethen of White Bear Lake, Minn.

Saint Mary’s invites the public to a presentation by Jake Leinenkugel, president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 28 in Page Theatre. The event — hosted by the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies — will highlight the “Leinenkugel Family Legacy.”

The well-known head of the 142-year-old company became the fifth generation to head the Leinenkugel Brewing Company in 1986. Born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Leinenkugel worked in the family brewery each summer from the end of high school and all through college in a variety of roles — including the summer of 1972, when he almost burned the brewery to the ground.

In the fall of 1982, Leinenkugel resigned his commission from the U.S. Marine Corps and came back to Chippewa Falls at the request of his father. He started in the sales department, and in 1986 he was elected vice president of marketing and sales. In 1988, Miller Brewing Company purchased the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. Miller saw the importance of keeping the Leinenkugel family heavily active in the brewery’s management, and Leinenkugel continued as vice president until he was promoted to president in 1989.

“I feel privileged to follow in my great-great-grandfather’s and father’s footsteps into this wonderful business,” he said. “We are fortunate to have so many loyal fans that love and support our products, and I feel it is important to interact with as many of them as possible.”

Leinenkugel ‘s presentation will include a brief history of the company, along with an overview of the brewing industry, water stewardship, and the renaissance of brewing used in the 21st century. In addition, he will explain how Leinenkugel operates as a business by showing their current brand portfolio and brand plan key imperatives, before concluding with the company’s succession planning.

For more information, contact Trevor Hall at Ext. 6978 or tmhall@smumn.edu.

The Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies announces the winners of this year’s business plan competition.

Erin Glorvigen was the first-place winner in the business majors division. His plan was titled “Backup-Your-Memories.”

Rebecca Sandager and Justyna Kujtkowska submitted the winning plan in the non-business major division. Their unique business was called “Mo’Data.” A total of $1,500 in prize money was distributed among the students who submitted plans in the contest.

The Kabara Institute aims to incite a passion for entrepreneurial spirit in students across the university, regardless of their major field of study, to enhance the entrepreneurship program offerings at Saint Mary’s University by providing opportunities for students to interact with entrepreneurs and experience entrepreneurship first-hand, and to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the importance of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in our society.

The Kabara Institute is sponsoring a series of events later in April. Details on these events are available from Trevor Hall, director of the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Saint Mary’s will heat things up this spring with a jazz concert Friday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Page Theatre. The featured soloist will be Yamaha clinician, composer, arranger and trombonist Dean Sorenson.

Sorenson is the associate professor and director of Jazz Studies at the University of Minnesota. His most recent publication is “Standard of Excellence First Jazz Performance,” a collection of jazz charts for elementary bands and jazz bands. An outstanding clinician, conductor, and soloist, he is frequently featured at festivals and conventions around the country and abroad. He also maintains a full schedule of concert and recording dates as a Yamaha performing artist. Sorenson has composed and arranged for numerous ensembles including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Airmen of Note and the United States Air Force Band.

Sorenson will perform several of his own compositions and arrangements with the SMU Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo I. Both groups are co-directed this semester by Eric Heukeshoven and Dr. John Paulson of the Music Department. The 18-piece SMU Jazz Ensemble will perform Sorenson’s works “Cool City” and “Keep the Stick.” Jazz Combo I will perform “This is for Albert,” composed by Wayne Shorter and arranged for the group by Sorenson.

Other highlights of the concert will include the recognizable ballad “Willow Weep For Me,” featuring the alto sax stylings of senior Tommy Quinn of Cannon Falls; “High and Flightly,” composed by Hank Mobley and arranged by Mark Taylor, featuring both Quinn and trumpeter Tyler Ringeisen, also from Cannon Falls; “Nostalgia in Times Square” and “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” composed by Charles Mingus and arranged by Andrew Homzy and Ronnie Cuber; the popular ’70s jazz hit “Red Clay” by Freddie Hubbard, arranged by Mike Crotty as a Cha Cha; and some deep fried chicken funk by Kris Berg, “Rule the Roost,” cooked up in the style of the funk maestros Tower of Power. Other featured student soloists include Ben Scott of Rochester on tenor sax and Trevor Woggon of Viroqua, Wis., on trombone.

Tickets are $5 for students, $10 for adults, and are available at www.pagetheatre.org or at the box office, Ext. 1715, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or one hour before the performance.

The Biology Department will host the 38th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in Biology on Friday, April 8, in the Adducci Science Center.

Students from Saint Mary’s and other colleges and universities in the tri-state region will present the results of their undergraduate research projects. Registration is free and begins at 8 a.m. Presentations begin at 8:20 a.m.

The symposium presents attendees with the opportunity to experience the process of open collegial assessment of experimental findings, the opportunity to encounter discoveries from a variety of scientific disciplines, and an excellent environment to develop personal contacts and acquaintances.

Dr. Marla Spivak, Distinguished McKnight Professor of Apiculture and Social Insects in the Department of Entomology and director of the Bee Lab at the University of Minnesota, will present the R.V. Kowles Lecture. Dr. Spivak’s research into the mechanisms of disease resistance in bee colonies is internationally recognized. For her work and her active dissemination of best practices to beekeepers worldwide, Dr. Spivak was recently awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. Her presentation, titled “Socialized Medicine in Honey Bee Colonies,” will begin at 1:45 p.m. in Figliulo Recital Hall.

The public is invited to attend the lecture, as well as the student presentations, free of charge. Morning refreshments will be provided.

On April 8-9, Saint Mary’s will host the 19th annual Northern Plains Conference on Early British Literature. The conference, funded this year by SMU’s School of Humanities and Sciences and coordinated by Dr. John Kerr of the English Department, will bring advanced scholars, graduate students, and select undergraduates from the upper Midwest (and farther) to discuss literary-critical, theoretical, and pedagogical issues concerning the early literatures of the British Isles.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Dolores Frese of the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Frese will offer a talk titled “The Trace of Dante’s De vulgari eloquentia in Some Canterbury Tales, and Why It Matters.” Niki Ciulla, an SMU Literature major and Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor, will present a paper on Marie de France’s “Guigemar.”

The conference program is available at www.smumn.edu/npcebl2011. For further information, contact Dr. Kerr at ext. 1673.

Saint Mary’s will welcome guest pianist Norman Lee at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 11. The performance, free and open to the public, will be held in Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the SMU Performance Center.

Lee, a Steinway artist, is a performer, piano teacher and music educator who currently teaches at The Baptist University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Kingston University of London and The Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Born in Hong Kong, Lee started his piano studies at a very young age. Awarded the Sklarevski Scholarship, he furthered his piano studies in The Peabody Conservatory of Music with Walter Hautzig and Robert Weirich, where he received his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance.

Lee expanded his repertoire by studying with Irina Zaritzkaya in London, England. He was also awarded certificates from the U.S.S.R. after studying with Anatoly Verdernikov and Tatiana Nikoleava in Mozertum, Salzburg.

Lee received his Master of Music degree from The University of Western Ontario, working under Professor Ronald Turini. He has conducted master classes and lectures in Hong Kong, China and Canada on the topic of piano injuries and movement retraining.

The Winona-Misato Friendship Association —whose members include current and past student ambassadors, their families and staff or community members, who have traveled to Misato, Japan — are helping to organize a city/area wide benefit for the town of Misato in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

Fifty homes were completely destroyed in the 8.9 earthquake. Three times that number were damaged. Many businesses and roads are in need of repair. Thankfully, no fatalities occurred, but more than 30 residents needed medical attention.

The area continues to experience aftershocks and communication because of power outages is inconsistent. The Misato residents are in need of funds to buy essential supplies: food, water and clothing.

SMU along with Winona State and other area businesses and institutions have been requested to support the city-wide initiative.

At SMU, “Misato Mondays” will begin next week. Collection jars will be available Mondays, April 11, 18 and May 2 at high visibility areas around campus. Additionally, collection jars will be available at Gaslight this weekend, Sunday Mass and the track and field meet April 30.

Special Misato wristbands will soon be available as well.

A week-long benefit effort is being planned May 1 through May 7 throughout Winona. One day during Misato Week, Saint Mary’s will showcase various cultural aspects of Japan through special public events. Details are being finalized. When the week is completed, a check from the Winona Community Foundation will be given to the City of Winona to send directly to officials in Misato.

The Open Mic Night organization hosted March’s OMN event in conjunction with the sisters of SAI in efforts to raise money for Japan relief on March 31.

The SAI sisters provided baked goods and asked for a donation of 50 cents. The event hosted a variety of performances from poetry, to rap to impromptu musical talent. More than 100 people participated, and SAI raised over $80 for Japan relief.

OMN was organized to honor the free expression of SMU students; this event offered the opportunity for students to see their peers perform while donating to a cause. The OMN club officers extend a special thank-you to the sisters of SAI and the SMU students who continue to support these events.

The Cardinal Corner Blowout Sale will be held in the Plaza (or Toner Student Center lobby as the rain location) on Monday, April 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. This is your last day to purchase items from the store for the semester. Free popcorn will be served! Free Cardinal Pride wristbands are available with purchase. Come and check out the new items and sale prices!

Saint Mary’s senior art students will present their work in the upcoming exhibit, “Through the Lashes,” Saturday, April 2, through Saturday, May 14, at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

“Through the Lashes” is a capstone experience for SMU Art Studio and Graphic Design majors. The name, chosen by the exhibiting seniors, comes from a reference Vincent Van Gogh made to his brother Theo in many letters. Van Gogh would say “Today, I painted through the lashes,” which meant he would squint his eyes to remove the middle grays and helped him focus on the strong contrasts of the objects he was looking at.

Artists displaying their work April 28 through May 14 will include Alexa Bergler, Stephanie Binot, Emily Cooper, Chelsea Deering, Jesse Fleming, Cody Harvey, Nicole Krystosek, Danielle Miller and Tania Trowbridge. An opening reception for the second showing will be held 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 28.

The galleries — free and open to the public — are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

The musical tradition of Gaslight will be held 8 p.m. Friday, April 8, and 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday, April 9, in the dining room. Tickets are $7 (sold at lunch week of and at the door, same price). Gaslight is put on by the Senior Class of 2011.

The second Mid West Music Fest (MWMF) will be held Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16, at various venues in Winona.

The festival is an all-ages, multiple venue, multiple-genre weekend music festival, with more than 100 local and regional acts performing. Headlining this year’s festival is Charlie Parr, who will play on Saturday, April 16, at 10 p.m. at the Masonic Temple in Winona.

Several SMU acts will take part in the festival, including performances by Chris Kendall, Charolette Deranek, “The Morning Foreign,” and Battle of the Bands winner, “Fox Holes & Crow’s Nests.”

Last year, the festival raised over $7,000 for three local non-profits. Free tickets are available for SMU students in the Office of Student Activities.

During the week of April 11-15, Counseling Services in the Wellness Center will continue to offer opportunities to the SMU Community to deal with grief in the aftermath of the death of student Millie Harrison.

• Walk-in counseling appointments will be available from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, April 12 and 13.

• Consultation or counseling appointments may be scheduled by calling Ext. 1773.

• Counselors are available to facilitate group discussions in classes and/or residence halls.

• An Hour of Remembrance will be held on Tuesday, April 12. This evening is particularly directed to community members who have lost other loved ones (parents, grandparents, siblings, friends) in the past year and who wish that loss with other community members. For more details and place and location, please call Ext. 1773.

Save these dates for a variety of Hendrickson Institute-sponsored events. The Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership is committed to serving both emerging and current leaders of society. It is an academic resource for the university and the community, a forum for the exploration of ethical issues.

Women Who Step Forward ~ April 16Mark your calendars for a personal and professional development conference on women's leadership. This event will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center, 2540 Park Ave., Minneapolis. Tickets are $45 for general admission, $35 for students. For registration information, contact Anna Shields at (612) 238-4550 or ashields@smumn.edu.The keynote speaker is New York Times best-selling author Gail Evans who served as the executive vice president of CNN and served in President Johnson’s administration. Evans will discuss the ethics and importance of women supporting other women in order to succeed in leadership. Attend this day-long event if you’re interested in professional development, personal growth, and learning from inspiring and forward-thinking keynote and break-out session speakers.

Connect. Network. Advance. ~ April 19Alumni, students and friends of Saint Mary’s will gather for an evening of networking, résumé reviews and a guest speaker. Bring along business cards for networking opportunities and résumés if you're searching for a job change. This event will be held 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center in Minneapolis. To register, contact Barb Hall at (612) 238-4517 or bhall@smumn.edu.

Hendrickson Forum Seminar:Microfinance in the Urban Core ~ April 20Widely publicized as a tool for developing nations, microfinance has a profound impact in the Twin Cities. Explore how the local microfinance landscape — access to business development, credit, grants — helps move individuals and communities toward economic security. Then join a group of distinguished panelists in a lively discussion.

The event will be held from 1 to 2:45 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center in Minneapolis. Tickets are $20 for general admission or $10 for SMU students, faculty and staff. Order online at www.smumn.edu/hendricksonforum.

Hendrickson Forum:Social Capitalism: An “App” to Fight Poverty ~ April 20Enjoy a conversation with Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen Fund and author of “The Blue Sweater.”

The event will be held 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Harrington Mansion and Event Center. Regular admittance is $25 for the public, $10 for SMU students or $20 for SMU faculty and staff.

Fred de Sam Lazaro, director of the Project for Under-Told Stories at Saint Mary’s University and a correspondent for The PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, will be the moderator.

Novogratz is the founder and CEO of Acumen Fund, a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.

Her recent best-selling memoir, “The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World,” chronicles her quest to understand poverty and challenges readers to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink their engagement with the world.

Complimentary tickets for the forum and seminar are reserved for SMU staff/faculty (first come, first served basis). Contact Barb Hall at (612) 238-4517 or bhall@smumn.edu to reserve one complimentary ticket.

Contact Bob Biebel if you’d like to carpool to the Forum or if you’d like to watch a live podcast to the Winona campus. The Hendrickson Institute will be happy to fund the podcast if a core group — or class — expresses interest in attending. Please RSVP to Barb Hall or Bob Biebel.

In recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day,” Saint Mary’s Volunteer Mentors group is inviting Winona nonprofit agencies to submit requests for service.

Student volunteers will be available to work two shifts from 1 to 3 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, to help local individuals, groups, churches and organizations in recognition of “Spruce Up Winona Day.” Saint Mary’s will supply the workers, if the materials needed (paint, brushes, rakes, tools, etc.) are supplied for them.

The Volunteer Committee has scheduled the last “Let's Do Lunch” of the academic year for Wednesday, April 20, in the lobby of the hockey arena. The potluck meal will be hosted by the Athletic Department and proceeds will once again help students at CTIE in Nairobi. Mark your calendars and come and get some good food while donating to a good cause.

“Preghiera Semplice” (Simple Prayer) by SMU music instructor A. Eric Heukeshoven has been chosen as one of three winning compositions at the first annual Morningside College Choral Competition in Sioux City, Iowa. The work, written by Heukeshoven for the SMU Chamber Singers’ recent tour in Italy, is based on an Italian translation of “The Prayer of Saint Francis.” The world-premiere performances took place last month in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy and St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. (Founder’s Day attendees also heard the piece at this week’s annual convocation.)

Choirs from Sioux City area high schools and Morningside College will perform the three winning original compositions during the Morningside College Choral Composition Festival Concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 10, in Eppley Auditorium.

Heukeshoven will also have the opportunity to work with the choirs as guest clinician prior to the performance.

Dr. Joseph Tadie of the Department of Philosophy attended the Council for Undergraduate Research’s event called “CUR Dialogues 2011” from Feb. 24-26. CUR Dialogues is designed to bring faculty and administrators to Washington, D.C., to interact with federal agency program officers and other grant funders.

Tadie also attended the American Association of Colleges and Universities and Project Kaleidoscope’s event called “Engaged STEM Learning: From Promising to Pervasive Practices: Network for Academic Renewal Conference” from March 24-26. This interactive, hands-on conference was designed to help campuses adapt, scale up, and sustain effective practices in STEM teaching and learning.

Drs. Melissa Luedtke and Karen Sorvaag of the Department of Education recently presented at ASCD’s annual conference in San Francisco.

Their presentation, titled, “Taking Pre-Service Teachers Through the RTI Process in the Field” detailed how engaging education majors in the RTI process beyond just an academic understanding can be a challenge. The presentation provided a description of a mutually beneficial RTI process involving elementary education pre-service teachers and K-8 students struggling with literacy. The steps of the process were described, task lists and rubrics were provided, and exemplars from the experience were shared. The session concluded with a discussion about RTI and pre-service teacher engagement.

Look ahead on your calendars. The Friday, April 15, edition of “Campus Notes” is the last one before Easter break. The deadline for that issue is Wednesday, April 13. The next edition after break will be Friday, April 29, and the deadline for that edition is Wednesday, April 27.